, 1887-07-19

Five years ago the Omaha dailies were
no better than, if as good, as those of
Cheyenne to-day. We expect TO see The
LEADER in FIVE years equal to the Herald,
the Sun as good as the Republican and
the Tribune better than the Bee. The
Stock Journal is already the best paper
of its class in the world.
There is a great deal of truth in the
foregoing paragraph, taken from the
Lusk Herald. 1t is really only within
the past FIVE years that the Omaha news
papers have cast aside their swaddlinG
clothes and suddenly matured from ordi-
nary country sheets into vigorous and
pretentious metropolitan dailies. Five
years ago, when Omaha was a town of
at least 80, 900 inhabitants, the Bee was
the only paperi in the clty that was printed
entirely at home. The Herald is correct
in its statement that the Omaha papers
were no better five years ago than the
Cheyenne papers are now.
Omaha always was a good newspaper
field. The country which surrounds it on
all sides is populous and even five years
ago a paper published in the Nebraska
metropolis could hope for a fair circulation
outside of the city. With a daily paper
published in Cheyenne the conditions are
altogether different. Daily newspaper
support must be drawn almost exclusively
from the city itself. and it is an evidence
of the liberalty of the people as well as
their disposition to support home insti-
buttons that the papers have been so well
sustained. 1t is a notable fact that
~workingmen who rarely subscribe for a
daily newspaper in the Fast, not only
read but pay for their daily home papers
here. This is another of many indications
that the West is destined to be the vital
izing influence of American civilization.
With the weekly papers 1t is somewhat
different. THE WEEKLY LEADER, for
instance, has subscribers in pretty nearly
state in the Union, besides circulating
generally and extensively throughout the
territory. While the daily edition can
boast OF subscribers who live $50 miles
from a railroad, its circulation in the
northern, central and northwestern part
of the territory would be infinitely more
extensive were the railroad facilities
better.
We believe the next five years willshow
more genuine progress in Wyoming than
the past twenty has shown. Hitherto the
energies of the people have been concen-
trated in one industry. The industries
are now becoming diversified, manufacto-
ries are springing up, agriculture is al
ready an important factor in several parts
Of the territory; the railroads arc increas
ing the number OF men employed in me,
chanical pursuits, while the %stupcndous
deposits Of oil and mineral are Just begin
ming to receive the practical attention of
capitalists which will in a few years de-
velop them into phenomenal sources OF
wealth. Radiating lines of railroads will
bring all parts of the territory into closer
communication and tend to build up Wig
orous towns.
The newspapers will keep abreast of the
general prosperity. While we cannot
hope that the next FIVE years will show
such extraordinary progress as is exhibited
in the Omaha Herald we can confidently
promise great and continued improve,
ment THE LEADER has reached a period
in its career when it is bound TO boom.
The five coming years will do wonders foi
the territory, but they will at the SAM
time make radical changes and wonderful
improvements in The LEADER, or al
signs of the times fail.
And we do not think they do.